JEWELLERY

The Vikings loved bright ornaments. They had metal workers who were highly skilled at the intricate decoration of jewellery. Men and women wore brooches, rings, necklaces and arm rings made from silver, gold, bronze and lead alloys. This Viking wheel...

Gold plated pewter wadjet eye supplied on a waxed cord. The information on the reverse of the card describes how animals were an important part of Egyptian life and many were seen as gods.

Torcs were worn around the neck, the upper arm or the wrist during Roman times. This torc is the equivalent of our modern bangle. The image on the front of this card is of Ceres (Summer), part of thr Four Seasons mosaic from the 1st century pavement...

A turtle is a reptile with a shell that lives mainly in water. Most species of turtles can pull their head, legs and tail into their shell, which serves as protection. Turtles are cold-blooded and spend almost all their entire lives either in fresh...

When animals and plants die they decompose, or rot, but their hard parts, such as teeth and bones of an animal or the wood of plants, last longer. For these to be fossilized they must be buried before they can completely disappear. After they are buried...

When animals and plants die they decompose, or rot, but their hard parts, such as teeth and bones of an animal or the wood of plants, last longer. For these to be fossilized they must be buried before they can completely disappear. After they are buried...

The Grey Squirrel was introduced to Great Britain in the mid-19th century and after many releases it began to increase dramatically in numbers. It is now one of Britain's most well known and frequently seen mammals, being much more common than the native...

The black flag with skull and crossbones has been the favourite image of the pirate flag. Commonly known as the 'Jolly Roger' the flag often displayed death or scary images like skulls, bones, swords / daggers, and also hourglasses. The main reason for...

A pirate is someone who travels by water and commits robbery at sea or sometimes on the shore. Thousands of pirates were active between 1650-1720, a time known as the 'Golden Age' of piracy. The black flag with the skull and crossbones has been the...

Dungeons were built under castles and in prisons. These dungeons were usually pitch black and filthy with disease. Prisoners who were held there were treated very badly and from the earliest times torture was used to punish them or get them to confess to...

Sharks are cold-blooded, meat-eating fish that have muscular, streamlined bodies and breathe with gills. There are approximately 450 species of sharks that live in oceans throughout the world. They are most common in tropical and temperate seas. The...

The most characteristic symbol of the Praetorian Guard is the Scorpion. It appeared on their standard and on their shields and sometimes helmets. Some of the symbols adopted by individual legions derived from the astrological birth-signs of their...